US Government - Study Guide PDF 2024

US Government - Study Guide for Test on Executive/ Legislative Branch and Media Bias Format: 35-40 MCQ Roles of the President Textbook pages 242-244 What are the major roles of the president? Be able to describe them and give examples. ○ Chief of the state Cerem...

US Government - Study Guide for Test on Executive/ Legislative Branch and Media Bias Format: 35-40 MCQ Roles of the President Textbook pages 242-244 What are the major roles of the president? Be able to describe them and give examples. ○ Chief of the state Ceremonial duties ○ Chief of executive Head of the government/ Enforced laws and appoints officials ○ Chief Diplomat Foreign relations ○ Commander- in- chief In charge of military ○ Chief policy maker Proposes legislation, signs bills into law or vetoes them ○ Chief of the party Leader of this political party ○ Chief manager of the economy Monitors the economy Powers of the President (Chapter 13) Review what was covered in the slide show on the formal/informal powers of the president. Recall what we discussed about executive orders. ○ Formal: Commander-in-Chief: President has command over the US armed forces. direct military operations deploy troops make strategic decisions regarding the armed forces Must work within the constraints of Congressional power to declare war and fund military actions Veto Power: President can veto legislation passed by Congress. Has 10 Days to sign or veto a bill. 2/3 of Congress can override a veto. If a bill is not signed within ten days then it becomes law. (Only if Congress is in session) Treaty-Making: The President can negotiate and sign treaties with foreign nations, some require Senate approval others do not. State of the Union Address: Required by the Constitution to inform Congress and recommend legislation. To address the condition of the state ○ important issues facing Americans ○ Offers ideas on solving the nation's problems suggestions for new laws and policies Calling Congress into Special Session: If a pressing issue arises and needs  immediate attention. ○ Example: Hurricane Milton and Helene Appointments: Appoints key officials, Fed Court Judges, SC Justices, Ambassadors and Cabinet members. Currently 48 Federal Judge vacancies Pardons and Reprieves: Can reduce or forgive sentences for federal crimes. Examples of Trump’s: ○ Dwayne Michael Carter Jr- Felony Gun Charge ○ Bill K. Kapri- Felony Gun Charge ○ Shalom Weiss: Pardoned 18 years into an 835-year sentence- Insurance Fraud ○ Informal: Executive Order: Directives ordered by the president to manage the operations of the federal government. Congress- passing legislation that invalidates it Judicial- nullify if it determines it is unconstitutional Executive Agreements: treaties or agreements with other countries ○ not require Senate approval (⅔) ○ Valid with majority vote Crisis Management: FEMA central to addressing economic crisis ○ Financial Crash of 2008. Executive Privilege: President can withhold documents, communications from Congress and the public to protect sensitive information. National Security is often the excuse. Signing Statement Object to parts of a law Suggest how to implement Statement of enforcing Impact of Supreme Court Immunity Ruling on Presidential Power. ○ Executive Branch Bureaucracy Textbook pages 246-248; A Very Big Branch reading Understand the general size and scope of the executive branch. ○ President ○ Departments underneath Department of homeland security How do departments differ from independent agencies? ○ Department heads are part of the president's Cabinet; agency heads are not. ○ Departments are the main organization in the executive branch (15 departments)  Education, transportation, defense, energy, etc. Smaller agencies inside that perform different jobs DOJ: operate justice system and prevents crime → inside is FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ○ Independent Agencies are government organizations that also focus on specific issues, bu they are different because they aren't directly controlled by the president or the executive branch Created By congress in order to address concerns not easily solved through legislation Controlled by a board of commission Usually restriction on how the president appoints and removes the members What is the president’s “cabinet” and what do we call the heads of executive branch departments and agencies (“secretaries”)? ○ The president's cabinet are his appointed secretaries to lead each department They are a group of people that give advice to help the president make important decisions Head of Department of Justice (DOJ) is called the Attorney General Be able to match major executive branch departments and agencies with their primary duties ○ Secretary of state (Department of State) Man gages our relationship with foreign countries ○ Secretary of treasury (Department of the treasury) Collects taxes, pints money, deals with the nations finances ○ Secretary of Defence (Department of Defense) Manages the armed forces and conducts wars overseas ○ Attorney General (Department of Justice) Enforces laws and represents the United States in legal matters ○ Secretary of the interior (Department of the Interior) Manages and protects the nation's public lands ○ Secretary of Agriculture (Department of Agriculture) Works with the farmers and regulates farm productions ○ Secretary of Commerce (Department of Commerce) Supervises trade and promotes U.S. businesses ○ Secretary of Labor (Department of Labor) Helps workers get fair wages and working conditions ○ Secretary of transportation (Department of transportation) Overseas highway safety and air, rail and sea travel ○ Secretary of Energy (Department of Energy) Researches sources of field and electricity for the nation ○ Secretary of education (Department of Education) Gives money for k-12 schools and student college loans ○ Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Department of Veteran Affairs) Provides services for people who serves in the military  ○ Secretary of Health and Human Services (Depart. of Health & Human Services) Gives service for Americans health and basic needs ○ Secretary of Homeland Security (Department of Homeland Security) Protects against terrorists and other threats ○ Secretary of House & Urban Development (Depart. of Housing & Urban Development Create strong communities and affordable homes What’s the difference between department/agency “enforcement” and “regulation?” ○ Regulations are laws that departments need to follow. (Regulation is the written law) the Rules the executive branch makes about how the law will be carried out Some make activities illegal and others give instructions for how something must be done ○ Enforcement is the action of checking to make sure they follow certain criteria. (Enforcement is ensuring that is complied with) Educate the public about new laws Monitor the public to make sure laws are being followed Catch individuals or organizations not following the law Take the offenders to court Follow any other enforcement procedure the agency may have War-making powers of Congress and the President Review your notes from the videos we watched in class. Links to the videos are on Canvas. What are the four ways in which the United States can go to war? 1. Declaration of war 2. Treaty 3. Statue 4. Sudden attack Which branch holds the power to declare war and what has changed in how that power has been used? ○ Congress holds the power to declare war ○ What are force authorizations and how did they come about? ○ is a joint resolution of the United States Congress which became law on September 18, 2001, ○ authorizing the use of the United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the September 11 attacks. What are the main arguments for and against the proposition that Congress has given up too much of its war-making authority to the president? ○ For ○ Against Legislative Branch Resources: Textbook Chapters 11 & 12. Slides and Notes. Structure: Bi-Cameral. What does that mean? What are the practical, historical and theoretical reasons why we have a bicameral legislature? ○ Bicameral: two houses House of Representatives Senate ○ One house is able to limit the power of the other (checking them), so no one branch ha more power than the other House of Representatives and Senate: Number of members, length of terms, how are they elected? ○ House of representatives 435 members, proportional to population not geography size Minimum is 1 California with most at 52 More populated → more reps 2 year terms (supposed to adjust to the current needs, always hanging) Minimum of 25 years old 7 year citizen of US Legal resident of state you're representing ○ Senate 100 members, 2 reps per state Not representational 6 year terms (supposed to deal with long term needs, looking at the future) So every 2 years ⅓ of the senate is up for re-election  Senate is considered a “continuous body”, all of the senate seats are never up for re-election at the same time like the House ○ Minimum age of 30 years old ○ 9 year citizen of US ○ Legal resident of state you're representing ○ Both are elected by the people, to represent the people and their needs, rather than the legislatures needs ○ The 17th Amendment established direct, rather than indirect, elections for US senators. ○ Common power: to make the laws Similarities and differences between the two bodies: rules of debate, number of committees, etc. ○ House of reps.: ○ Senate: What is the primary function of the Legislative Branch? ○ makes all laws, declares war, regulates interstate and foreign commerce and controls taxing and spending policies. What powers are granted exclusively to the House? Sentate? ○ House of reps: 1. Impeach 2. Start revenue bills → raising taxes 3. Election president in case of tie during election ○ Senate: 1. Hold impeachment trials 2. Ratify treaties 3. Confirmation powers (confirm appointments that the president makes, like his appointments to the offices) How did the 17th amendment change how Senators are elected? ○ Made it so that they are elected by the people, to better represent the people How does Impeachment work? (Slides) ○ The House starts the impeachment process ○ The senate carries out the impeachment court case How Does A Bill Become A Law? Know the steps. 1. After both the House and Senate have approved a bill in identical form, 2. it is sent to the president. 3. If the president approves of the legislation, he signs it and it becomes law. a. If president doesn't sign it then it is sent but to congress to redraft How does the Congress override a Presidential veto? ⅔ vote to override the veto How role does the Filibuster play in the bill making process? Only can happen in the senate  When someone can go up and debate for as long as they want, so then congress rubs out of time to actually debate the bill Criticisms and Concerns: Gerrymandering (Who draws Congressional Districts) When is it legal and when is it unconstitutional?Gridlock and ineffectiveness. Gerrymandering: the redrawing of direct voting lines to favor the party who draws them The districts are redrawn every 10 years, drawn by population from the US census Ohio and Pennsylvania were redrawn, they were majority democratic but when it came to voting they both came out republican ○ Cracking: divided one political party up into several different districts to ;lessen their chances of winning over a district (spreading them out thinly so they can not gain a majority in any one of them) ○ Packing: cramming one political party into one or few districts to limit the amount of districts they can win (consolidate them into small amount of districts so they can win 1 rather than a few) (still get a say, but it isn't as influential if he spread out normally) ○ Illegal: disadvantaged minority (racism) ○ Legal: disadvantaging political parties Media (Use Notes and “Attack of the Bots” Video Questions Be prepared to apply the different types of bias to different scenarios. Impact of Bots and Social Media on Democracy. Spread false and misinformation Can look and act like real humans so hard to tell